Improvement in harvesters



mm .2. mm

im/zi za i I lHdrl esiefi I I same in. operative condition as a mower.

U ITED S'rn'rns Pi ment? @rnron.

WILLIAM N. WHITELEY, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

- IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTERS.

Specification formingpm't of Letters Patent No. 81,046, dated August 11, 1868.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1,,WM. N. WHITELEY, of Springfield, in the county of Clarke and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Harvesters and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my machine in working position as a mower. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same folded for transportation. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section through the frame, showing in elevation the mode of attaching the cutting apparatus to the frame. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the pipe-box detached.

My machine relates to that class of harvesters known as sin gl'e-j ointed, and the center upon which the cutting apparatus moves, while rising or falling with the undulations of the ground, is coincident with the axis of the crank-shaft, so that the operative position of the cutters in respect to the guard-fingers is not changed by any movement of the cutting apparatus upon its center of motion.

That others may fully understand the construction, operation, and nature of my invention, I will particularly describe it.

A is the main frame, composed of bars of angle-iron form, the outer side piece of which is extended backward and curved around toward the cutting apparatus, as particularly shown in Fig. 3. I

The pinion-shaft B is mounted in boxes Q G, secured to the side pieces of the main frame in the usual way, and the pinions D D gear with the internal spur-gear wheels E E, which form parts of the driving and supporting wheels F F. The axles of the wheels F F project from the rear ends of the sector-plates G G, which are hung upon bearings the centers of which are coincident with the axis of the pinion-shaft B, so that as the axles of said wheels F are raised or lowered in respect to the pinion-shaft the mesh of the gears D and E will not be changed. The rear ends of the sector-plates G G are retained in proper line and are supported by the curved standards H H, which are bolted at their lower ends to the side pieces of the main frame. The levers I I, secured to the sector-plates G, project backward to a convenient position, and enable the attendant to easily adjust the height of the main frame in respect of the axis of the main wheel. The pins J J, inserted through holes in the sector-plate and standard, hold the sector-plate in the desired position upon said standards, so as to elevate the main frame a proper distance from the ground.

The tongue K is bolted to the draft-plate L, which is jointed to the front bar of the main frame by a long bolt passing through corresponding lugs upon the draft-plate and front bar of the frame. The lever M is attached to the draft-plate by an adjustable serrated joint, and by pulling or pushing the top of said lever the driver can depress or elevate the front end of the main frame at will, and thus be enabled to raise the cutting apparatus from the ground to clear any obstruction which may lie in the Way.

While mowing, the tongue is flexible, so that the cutting apparatus may conform to the surface of the ground; but during transportation from place to place, or while being used as a reaper, it-is necessary that the tongue should be rigid, and I therefore provide the arm 0, which is bolted fast to the platform P, and projects forward by the side of the lever M. The arm 0 is provided with a series of holes, and the lever M has a projecting pin, N, which may engage in any one of said holes and hold the tongue and frame in any fixed relative position. While mowing, the front end of the main frame will be elevated so much that the pin N will not come in contact with the arm 0, and at any time when it is desired to disengage the pin N from one of the holes in the arm 0 it is only necessary to press the lever sidewise slightly.

The platform P, upon which is mounted the drivers seat Q, is supported by legs R at 'a height above the main frame sufficient to accommodate the large gear-wheel S beneath it. The crank-shaft T, which is driven by the bevel-wheel S, has its hearings in the long pipe-box U, which is secured tothe rear cross.

barof the main frame by bolts, and to the curved side bar by a stout strap-or staple, t", which passes over the box and down on either side through the rear bar of the frame, and is secured by screw-nuts on either of its ends. This pipe-box U is cast with the lug V projecting upward from its forward end, for attachment of the draw-rod W, which connects the upper end of said lug and the front bar of the main frame, as shown, and materially strengthens the frame and transmits the draftstrain directly to the coupling-arm and cutting apparatus. The pipe-box U, being thus connected to the bars A A, forms a part of the main frame, at the same time that it con tains the bearings and protects the crankshaft from dirt or injury. It may be cast in a single piece, cored out through its central part, and bored at the end to fit the shaft. The pipe-box is turned so as to form on its outer surface, at two points, bearings forthe couplingarm, so that while the machine is in operation the cutting apparatus may rise or fall, moving upon a center coincident with'the center of the crank-shaft. The pipe-box U not only secures the shaft Tfrom dirt and other extraneous clogging matter, but it protects it from acci dental injuries and strains from binding in its bearings, to which all other arrangements must be liable.

The coupling-arm Y is cast solid with the inner shoe to, and the inner end is cast with the branches 1) 0, through which holes are accurately bored and fitted to the cylindrical portion of the pipe-box U, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, thus securing a long bearing for the coupling-arm joint, and enabling it to withstand the side strain of the cutting apparatus Without other bracing than its bearings upon the pipe-box. The lower part of the branch b is provided with the flange d, projecting backward beneath the crank-wheel 0, so as to protect said Wheel from collision with any object which may be upon the ground over which the machine may be passing.

The crank-Wheel e is provided with a hub, t, which projects forward over the rear end of the crank-shaft T. This hub is secured in place by a key or pin passing through both hub and shaft, and at its forward end it is provided with a flange or shoulder, a, larger in diameter than the end of the pipe-box U, with which it is in close contignity. The pipebox near its forward end, and just in rear of the lug V, has a corresponding shoulder, v, and between the shoulder u upon the crankshaft and v upon the pipe-box the couplingarm exactly fits, and the shoulder to retains it in place. If it should be required to remove the coupling-arm, it would be necessary to remove the strap r, loosen the. bolts at the forward end of the pipe-box, and remove the crank-wheel c, after which the coupling-arm could be slipped on or off its bearings upon the pipe-box.

' The bridge f is secured at its two ends to the lugs at the upper sides of the branches 1) and 0, respectively, by screws, and from the highest part of this bridge the rod 9 extends down to the shoe, to which it is connected by a hooked end, as shown.

The purpose of the bridge fand rod 9 is to enable the driver to raise the outer end of the cutting apparatus from the ground topass over any obstacle which may be thereon; and in order to accomplish this result I attach to that end of the rod 9 which rests upon the bridge f a wire, cord, or small chain, 6, and extend the same from that point downward around the small roller-sheave h, and thence forward to the hand-lever 70, by operating which the rod 9 and top of the bridgef may be drawn over at will' toward the outer side of the machine, and the outer end of the cutting apparatus be raised from the ground.

When the machine is to be transported from place to place, as from the barn to the field,

the outer end of the cutting apparatus is raised up until the bridge f can be secured to the bar A by the loose hook m, which is "attached thereto for that purpose. The hook m will retain the cutting apparatus in its upright position during transportation, and it may be released with the utmost facility when it is desired to set the machine in operation.

The clutch-lever n, at the will of the operator, throws the operative mechanism out of gear with the main wheels, and a small hook, q, pivoted to one of the front posts of the platform P, serves to retain the lever n in the desired position to prevent an accidental disengagement of the mechanism. The main bevel-wheel S is loose upon the axle B, and is engaged or disengaged therewith by a sliding clutch operated by the lever n.

Having described my invention, what I claim in this patent as new is- 1. The pipe-box U, combined with the bars of the main frame A, in the manner shown, so that said box forms the brace connecting the rear bars A A of the frame and the bearings of the crank-shaft.

2. The draw-rod W, combined with the solid pipe-box U, in the manner shown, andconnectin g said box to the front bar of the main frame, as and for the purpose set forth. 3. The bridge-piece f, connected to the in ner shoe and to the hand-lever It, in the manner shown, for the attendant to raise described.

4.. The hook m, bridge-piece f, forth.

the cutting apparatus, as

in combination with the as and for the purpose set WM. N. WHITELEY.

Witnesses:

GEo. W. BENNs, D. P. JEFFERIEs.

purpose of enabling the 

